Film History Milestones - 1997 Event and Significance 1997 Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension (aka Marvin the Martian in 3D), a 12-minute Warner Bros film, opened as a feature of the Warner Bros.' theme park "Movie World" in Australia. It was the first computer-animated CG film that was to be viewed with 3-D glasses. It combined the experience of watching a fully CGI film with polarized/anaglyphic glasses. 1997 James Cameron's Titanic (1997), the most expensive film of all time at the time of its release, also soon became the highest grossing and most successful film of all-time in Hollywood history (at $600.8 million domestic gross box-office receipts, and $1.8 billion total worldwide gross), surpassing the all-time box-office (domestic) record of Star Wars (1977) .

(Titanic remained at the top until Cameron's own Avatar (2009) surpassed it 12 years later at $760.5 million (domestic).) It was the first film with a budget of $200 million, and it was the first movie to gross $1 billion (worldwide). When adjusted for inflation, however, Cleopatra (1963) had the highest budget of any film, and Gone with the Wind (1939) remained the highest grossing. Delays during production and a budget of $200 million threatened to 'sink' the film, but didn't affect its overall success. Repeated theatrical viewings by young teens (enthralled by the romance between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) were partly responsible for the film's high returns. The bulk of the state-of-the-art visual effects (CGI and miniature models) were provided by Cameron's own company, Digital Domain. And the film was backed or co-produced by two studios in order to foot the bill -- Fox and Paramount.

1997 The blockbuster film Titanic (1997) had a record-tying fourteen nominations and won a record-tying eleven Academy Awards (duplicating the feat of All About Eve (1950) ). That made it the second of only two films to receive 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It was also the second film to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture - it tied Ben-Hur (1959) with eleven Oscar wins - the most Oscar wins of any film in Academy Awards history. [ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) would equal the feat in six years with 11 wins.] 1997 There were only two instances in which the same movie character was Oscar-nominated within the same film. The first instance was in Titanic (1997), where the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater was played by nominees Gloria Stuart and Kate Winslet.

[Note: The second instance was the character of Iris Murdoch in Iris (2001).] 1997 The 18th official Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) was the first film in cinematic history to have the largest product placement deal ever, covering its entire production budget of $110 million. The film was largely marketed through the film's promotional partners. Sponsoring companies included BMW, Ericsson cellphones, Bollinger champagne, Omega watches, Dunhill, Brioni clothing, Avis rental cars, Golden Wonder potato chips, L'Oréal cosmetics, VISA, and Heineken beer. Some joked that the Bond films had now become the "Licence to Sell." 1997 The first time product placement appeared in an animated picture was Chanel perfume in Anastasia (1997). 1997 Due to its opening against James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) was the first (and only) Pierce Brosnan Bond film to not open as the # 1 film at the box-office.

1997 Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars for As Good As It Gets (1997). This was only the seventh time in 70 years that the leading actor and actress from the same film received the Oscars. 1997 Slim DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), the new generation of optical disc storage technology, began to be sold to consumers. By 2003, there were over 250 million DVD playback devices worldwide, one of the most successful consumer electronics products of all time. It was destined to replace the laser disc, videotape (bulky VHS), and videogame cartridges. In mid-2003, DVD rentals first topped those of VHS. 1997 Writer/director Paul Thomas' Boogie Nights (1997) was a significant film for authentically portraying the Southern California pornography industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s, through the character of Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) - based upon the life of porn actor John C. Holmes, who became well-endowed porn star Dirk Diggler.

1997 Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai's haunting and melancholy film Happy Together (1997, HK) (aka Cheun Gwong Tsa Sit) about a gay couple, was released. The film's cinematographer used multiple film speeds and color film stock. It was controversial for its graphic portrayal of Chinese male homosexuality and was banned in Singapore, among other places. 1997 George Lucas released re-vamped Special Editions of the Star Wars Trilogy . Episodes IV, V, and VI were remastered and re-released for theatrical showings. Most of the changes were cosmetic - various scenes or images were cleaned up or restored, but some changes were made to the films as well. For example, in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) , there was a new CGI version of Jabba the Hutt (originally a latex puppet), and a modified "Cantina Scene" in which Greedo shot first. 1997 Star Wars (1977) was the first film to earn more than $400 million domestically.

It reached this mark in February 1997 after the re-release or re-issue of its 20th anniversary edition. 1997 The British comedy film The Full Monty (1997) was an unexpected sleeper hit, although American audiences were unfamiliar with the slang term "the full monty" (complete nudity during a striptease). 1997 In June 1997, J.K. Rowling's first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in the UK. It would become the first in a franchise series of Harry Potter films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) . 1997 Sleepy-eyed actor Robert Mitchum died at the age of 79 of lung cancer.

He was active as an actor, often as a "macho" anti-hero, from the 1940s to 1990s, appearing in such favorites as The Story of GI Joe (1945) (earning his sole Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), the noirish Out of the Past (1947) , director Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter (1955) , and Cape Fear (1962). Other roles included Pursued (1947), Crossfire (1947), Angel Face (1952), Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), The Red Pony (1959), The Sundowners (1960), El Dorado (1967), and the remake of The Big Sleep (1978). 1997 One day after the death of fellow actor Robert Mitchum, American film actor James Stewart died at the age of 89, also from lung cancer. One of the finest actors ever, he appeared in dozens of classic films, and was nominated for five Best Actor Academy Awards for: Mr.

Smith Goes to Washington (1939) , The Philadelphia Story (1940) (win), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) , Harvey (1950), and Anatomy of a Murder (1959). Other notable Stewart films for Alfred Hitchcock included: Rear Window (1954) , Rope (1948), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), and Vertigo (1958) . 1997 Founded in 1994, DreamWorks SKG's first feature film release was The Peacemaker (1997), starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. A year later, the studio released their first animated film Antz (1998). 1997 The mockumentary An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) reduced the effectiveness of using an alias director's name (in this case for director Arthur Hiller, who disowned the film), and it became the last film to ever bear the pseudonym. The Director's Guild of America (DGA) changed their rules afterwards, allowing other names to be used as aliases.

In the past, according to DGA rules, a director unhappy with creative changes made on a film could have his name removed during post-production, and replaced only with a required alias: "Alan Smithee." 1997 Academy Awards® Winners and History The Full Monty (1997, UK) Actor: JACK NICHOLSON in "As Good As It Gets", Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting", Dustin Hoffman in "Wag the Dog", Robert Duvall in "The Apostle", Peter Fonda in "Ulee's Gold" Actress: HELEN HUNT in "As Good As It Gets", Judi Dench in "(Her Majesty) Mrs Brown", Helena Bonham Carter in "The Wings of the Dove", Kate Winslet in "Titanic", Julie Christie in "Afterglow" Supporting Actor: ROBIN WILLIAMS in "Good Will Hunting", Robert Forster in "Jackie Brown", Anthony Hopkins in "Amistad", Greg Kinnear in "As Good As It Gets", Burt Reynolds in "Boogie Nights" Supporting Actress: KIM BASINGER in "L.A.

Confidential", Joan Cusack in "In & Out", Minnie Driver in "Good Will Hunting", Julianne Moore in "Boogie Nights", Gloria Stuart in "Titanic" Director: JAMES CAMERON for "Titanic", Peter Cattaneo for "The Full Monty", Atom Egoyan for "The Sweet Hereafter", Curtis Hanson for "L.A. Confidential", Gus Van Sant for "Good Will Hunting" Director-producer-screenwriter James Cameron's three-hour mega-hit, Titanic - both the most expensive film ever made AND the number one, most successful box-office film of all-time (shared by 20th Century Fox and Paramount Studios), was the fictionalized account of the 1912 White Star Line cruise-ship disaster. It was the first Best Picture winner to gross over $1 billion (worldwide), and $600 million (domestic). Cameron's film was both a love story surrounded with the special-effects sinking of the 'unsinkable' Titanic on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York. The reconstructed ship in the film was three-quarters actual size.

Titanic had a record number of nominations and wins - fourteen, tying the all-time record set by All About Eve (1950) . That made it the second of only two films to receive 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It was also the second film to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture - it tied Ben-Hur (1959) with eleven Oscar wins - the most Oscar wins of any film in Academy Awards history. [ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) would equal the feat in six years with 11 wins.] Both Titanic and Ben-Hur (1959) failed to win Best Original Screenplay (Titanic wasn't even nominated in the category), although both films won Best Picture and Best Director honors. To date, it was the last film to win Best Picture without a Screenplay nomination (Adapted or Original); the last Best Picture to not have its screenplay nominated was The Sound of Music (1965) .

[The earlier version, Titanic (1953), lacked nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, but had two nominations, including Best Art Direction and it won an Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay - by Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Richard Breen.] Its fourteen nominations included: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Make-up, Best Score, Best Song ("My Heart Will Go On"), Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. Titanic lost only three awards for which it was nominated - its two acting nominations, and the Best Make-up nomination. The film wasn't even nominated for its screenplay, and it lost its two actress nominations, making it less of an acting film and more of a technical, craft-related masterpiece. Leonardo DiCaprio in a lead role opposite nominated Kate Winslet was denied a nomination. And 87 year-old veteran actress Gloria Stuart was denied an Oscar - the award would have made her the oldest recipient of an Oscar. Titanic was the first Best Picture winner to be produced, directed, written and edited by the same individual - James Cameron.

Cameron's win put him fifth in a long line of directors who have triple wins for director, writer, and producer for the same film: Leo McCarey for Going My Way (1944), Billy Wilder for The Apartment (1960) , Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather, Part II (1974) , and James L. Brooks for Terms of Endearment (1983) . Ontario-born James Cameron became the first Canadian to win the Best Director award. Its competition for Best Picture honors included other big-studio films (unlike the previous year's nominations): co-writer/director Curtis Hanson's hard-boiled, film-noirish crime drama based on James Ellroy's novel, L.A.

Confidential (with nine nominations and two wins - Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay) about many levels of corruption (journalistic, political, police, etc.) in a racially-tense 50s Hollywood; it was overwhelmed by the big-budget production and star power of the ultimate winner co-writer/director James Brooks' entertaining romantic comedy As Good As It Gets (with seven nominations and two wins - Best Actor and Best Actress) - a successful follow-up vehicle to Brooks' own Best Picture-winning film Terms of Endearment (1983) and the Oscar-less Broadcast News (1987) independent director Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting (with nine nominations and two wins - Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay) from the debut screenplay of actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck about a troubled young genius Will Hunting from Boston's working class who must work out his anger British director Peter Cattaneo's amusing British comedy The Full Monty (with four nominations and one win - Best Musical Score) about a group of unemployed Yorkshire mill workers who striptease to make ends meet Every director with a Best Picture nomination was a first-time Best Director nominee. The winner of the Best Director award was James Cameron for Titanic.

The only director with a Best Picture nomination who wasn't included (and was snubbed) in the group of Best Director nominees was James Brooks. His spot in the Best Director line-up was taken by Canadian director/writer Atom Egoyan for his adaptation of Russell Banks' novel The Sweet Hereafter (with two nominations and no wins) about the aftermath of a tragic schoolbus accident in a small British Columbia town. Amazingly, both top acting awards were won by the main lead performers in the same film, a comedy - As Good As It Gets. This marked the seventh time in 70 years that the two best acting Oscars were awarded to the same film. The wins made it, to date, the last Best Picture nominee to receive Best Actor and Best Actress wins.

Jack Nicholson won the Best Actor Oscar (his second) for his role as the rich, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive romance novelist in New York named Melvin Udall, who frequents the same restaurant every day and successfuly romances waitress Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets [It was Nicholson's third Oscar win - he had won earlier as Best Actor for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and as Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983) . Nicholson's co-star in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest also won the Best Actress Oscar, so he became a two-time recipient (the only one in Oscar history) of a top award with his co-star. This nomination was his eleventh career nomination. His surpassed his two nearest competitors for the most nominations - Laurence Olivier with ten nominations and Spencer Tracy with nine nominations. Walter Brennan had won three Best Supporting Actor nominations in 1936, 1938, and 1940. And Ingrid Bergman had also won three Oscars - in 1944, in 1956, and in 1974.

Only one person had more Oscars - Katharine Hepburn (with four).] Helen Hunt (with her first nomination and Oscar win), the only American actress among the Best Actress nominees, won the Best Actress Oscar as struggling, working-class single-mother/waitress Carol Connelly in As Good As It Gets. [With her win, she became the first actress to win an Oscar while simultaneously starring in a TV-sitcom (Mad About You). The same feat had been duplicated in the Best Supporting Actress category, by winners Goldie Hawn (in 1969 while on Laugh-In), and Cloris Leachman (in 1971 while on The Mary Tyler Moore Show).

Hunt also was the first (and only) actress to win an Academy Award - and a Golden Globe (both for As Good As It Gets), and an Emmy (for Mad About You) in the same year.] The remaining Best Actor nominees were: Matt Damon (with his first nomination) - the only Best Actor nominee newcomer - for his title role as a brilliant physics genius and janitor at MIT who must work on his anger, the result of childhood abuse in Good Will Hunting (instead of winning the acting award, Damon and co-writer Ben Affleck won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar) Dustin Hoffman (with his seventh nomination) as Hollywood producer Stanley Motss hired by White House officials to divert attention in director Barry Levinson's film based on David Mamet's adapted screenplay Wag the Dog (with two nominations and no wins) actor/writer/director Robert Duvall (with his fifth nomination) as Texas Pentecostal preacher Eulis ("Sonny") Dewey who becomes 'The Apostle' of God in Louisiana to escape his past in The Apostle (the film's sole nomination) veteran actor Peter Fonda (with his first acting nomination) as Ulysses ("Ulee") Jackson, a widowed, ex-Vietnam vet and

 beekeeper in director Victor Nunez' Ulee's Gold (the film's sole nomination) The other nominees in the Best Actress category, all British competitors, included: Judi Dench (with her first nomination) as the withdrawn, grieving Queen Victoria in director John Madden's (Her Majesty) Mrs.

Brown (with two nominations and no wins) Helena Bonham Carter (with her first nomination) as well-bred, penniless Kate Croy in director Iain Softley's beautiful romance inspired by Henry James' 1902 novel The Wings of the Dove (with four nominations and no wins) Kate Winslet (with her second nomination) as upper-class debutante Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic Julie Christie (with her third nomination - coming 32 years after her Oscar win in 1965 and 26 years after her previous Oscar nomination in 1971) as ex-B-movie actress Phyllis Mann in director Alan Rudolph's Afterglow (the film's sole nomination), about two couples with marital difficulties who mix and match In the Best Supporting Actor category, Robin Williams (with his fourth nomination and first win) won his first Oscar for his performance as psychotherapist Sean McGuire, who assists the young working-class genius Will in Good Will Hunting.

The other four Best Supporting Actor competitors were: Robert Forster (with his first nomination) as bail bondsman Max Cherry in writer/director Quentin Tarantino's crime film, an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch, Jackie Brown (the film's sole nomination) Anthony Hopkins (with his fourth nomination) as ex-President and slave defender John Quincy Adams in director Steven Spielberg's Amistad (with four nominations and no wins) Greg Kinnear (with his first nomination) as Simon Bishop - co-star Jack Nicholson's gay next-door neighbor with a dog who often asks his disapproving parents for money in As Good As It Gets Burt Reynolds (with his first nomination) as adult film director Jack Horner in writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (with three nominations and no wins), a look at the decadent porn industry in the 70s and 80s In the Best Supporting Actress category, Kim Basinger (with her first nomination) won her first Oscar for her role as glamorous, sultry movie-star look-a-like (a la Veronica Lake) - a high-priced prostitute Lynn Bracken in the noirish L.A. Confidential.

The other Best Supporting Actress nominees were: Joan Cusack (with her second nomination) as fiancee Emily Montgomery, engaged to high school English teacher (co-star Kevin Kline) who is outed as gay - in director Frank Oz' In and Out (the film's sole nomination) Minnie Driver (with her first nomination) as Will's (Matt Damon) affluent British girlfriend Skylar, a Harvard College student on her way to medical school at Stanford in California, in Good Will Hunting Julianne Moore (with her first nomination) as cocaine-addicted porn star Amber Waves in Boogie Nights favored 87 year-old Gloria Stuart as Old Rose - the 101 year-old survivor of the disastrous ship accident in Titanic [It was the first time in Oscar history that two performers - Kate Winslet as young Rose, and Gloria as Old Rose - were nominated for playing the same character in the same film. (This would also occur in 2001, when Judi Dench and Kate Winslet were both nominated for playing Iris in Iris (2001).) Gloria Stuart's nomination made her the oldest performer ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Her closest elderly performer was 82 year-old Jessica Tandy nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Tandy, who won the Oscar two years earlier for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), was the oldest performer ever to win a Best Actress Oscar.] This year's Honorary Oscar was awarded to 73 year-old Stanley Donen, a legendary choreographer/director who helped to revolutionize the musical, "in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit, and visual innovation. He had never been nominated in his entire career - for such films as Cover Girl (1944), Anchors Aweigh (1945), On the Town (1949), Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949), Royal Wedding (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952) , Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), It's Always Fair Weather (1955), The Pajama Game (1957), Funny Face (1957) and Damn Yankees (1958).

He was also responsible for Indiscreet (1958), The Grass is Greener (1961), Charade (1963) , and Two for the Road (1967). Woody Allen's Best Original Screenplay Oscar win for Deconstructing Harry - his thirteenth nomination in that category (in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1997), was one more than Billy Wilder's record of 12 screenplay nominations (in 1939, 1941 (twice), 1944, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1966).

Oscar Snubs and Omissions: Kevin Spacey wasn't nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Hollywood celebrity detective Jack Vincennes in L.A. Confidential, nor was Philip Seymour Hoffman for his performance as adult film soundman Scotty in Boogie Nights. And Rupert Everett lacked a nomination for his role as editor George Downes - Julia Roberts' gay confidante in the popular romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, as did Ian Holm for his performance as defense lawyer Mitchell Stephens in Atom Egoyan's drama The Sweet Hereafter.

Three films were completely neglected: Ang Lee's dramatic tale of dysfunctional families in 1973 suburban Connecticut in The Ice Storm, with Sigourney Weaver and Joan Allen as the two married Connecticut housewives: adulterous Janey Carver and Elena Hood; Kevin Kline took the role of distant husband Ben Hood, who was engaged in an affair with Janey; Christina Ricci also starred as 14 year-old daughter Wendy Hood, and Tobey Maguire portrayed 16 year-old son Paul David Fincher's psychological thriller The Game, with Michael Douglas as investment banker Nicholas Van Orton Neil LaBute's script and directorial effort (his debut film) for In the Company of Men, featuring Aaron Eckhart as slimy, evil and misogynistic businessman Chad, and Stacy Edwards as victimized and fragile deaf secretary/typist Christine - presumably, the film's mature, brutal and sordid themes, that also contributed to its difficulty in finding a US distributor, made it difficult for the mainstream Academy to honor it -- although it received accolades at the Sundance Film Festival And Mike Newell's gangster film Donnie Brasco, with Al Pacino as aging mobster Benjamin 'Lefty' Ruggiero and Anne Heche as

 Maggie Pistone, was recognized with only one nomination - for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Alison Elliott was not nominated for her supporting performance as dying, terminally-ill heiress Millie Theale in The Wings of the Dove, Robin Wright Penn was neglected for her transformative role as white-trash junkie Maureen in She's So Lovely, and Parker Posey was bypassed for playing incest-obsessed, neurotic twin Jackie in the underated Wendy MacLeod play adaptation The House of Yes. Most Oscars won by a film | Guinness World Records Most Oscars won by a film Share Titanic (1997), Ben Hur (1959), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Where When 1960 Three films have won 11 Oscars. The first to achieve the record was Ben-Hur (USA 1959) which won from 12 nominations on 4 April 1960, followed by Titanic (USA 1997) from 14 nominations on 23 March 1998 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (NZ/USA 2003) which won all 11 of its nominations on 29 February 2004.

Ben-Hur won with: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor; Best Supporting Actor; Cinematography; Art Direction; Sound; Music Score; Film Editing; Special Effects; Costume and loosing out to Room at the Top for Screenplay based on material from another medium. Titanic received awards for: Best Picture, Best Director, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume, Visual Effects, Sound, Sound Effects Editing, Film Editing, Original Dramatic Score, Original Song and losing out on Best Actress, Supporting Actress and Makeup. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King walked away with: Best Picture, Best Director, Art Direction, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Sound, Editing, Makeup, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Original Score and Original Song All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search.

(You will be need to register / login for access) 'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars, Including Best Picture - The New York Times The New York Times Movies |'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars, Including Best Picture Search 'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars, Including Best Picture By BERNARD WEINRAUB Continue reading the main story Correction Appended ''Titanic,'' the James Cameron epic about a tragic love affair aboard the doomed ocean liner, glided triumphantly through the 70th annual Academy Awards tonight, winning 11 accolades, including best picture and the top director Oscars for Mr. Cameron. The film's honors tied it with ''Ben-Hur'' for the most ever. Also at the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its top acting awards to Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt for ''As Good as It Gets,'' and its supporting-acting Oscars to Kim Basinger for ''L.A. Confidential'' and Robin Williams for ''Good Will Hunting.'' It was Mr. Nicholson's third Academy Award.

The Oscar for best documentary went to ''The Long Way Home,'' a searing film about the hardships endured by liberated concentration camp inmates after World War II. Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland won an Oscar for their adaptation of the James Ellroy novel ''L.A. Confidential.'' The winners of the original screenplay award were Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for ''Good Will Hunting,'' in which the two actors also starred. Continue reading the main story At the close of a long evening, Mr. Cameron accepted the best-picture award for ''Titanic'' and asked for a few moments of silence for those who died in the ocean tragedy. ''The only thing we truly own is today,'' he said. ''Life is precious.'' Advertisement Continue reading the main story Ms. Hunt, the Emmy-Award winning star of NBC's ''Mad About You,'' received her best-actress Oscar for playing a world-weary waitress and single mother in James L. Brooks's comedy ''As Good as It Gets.'' The 34-year-old actress said emotionally, ''I'm here for one reason -- that's Jim Brooks.'' Ms. Basinger, whose role as a sultry prostitute in ''L.A.

Confidential'' marked a comeback for the 44-year-old actress, said excitedly after winning the supporting-actress award, ''If anybody has a dream out there, I'm living proof that it can happen.'' Mr. Williams, who had previously received three nominations for an Oscar but never won, seemed overwhelmed while accepting his supporting-actor award. ''This might be the one time I'm speechless,'' said the 46-year-old actor, who portrayed a psychologist in ''Good Will Hunting.'' Although Academy officials said beforehand that it was doubtful that Billy Crystal, the host of the show, would mention the current sexual allegations by several women against President Clinton, Mr. Crystal obviously thought otherwise. ''A year ago the White House was complaining there was too much sex in Hollywood,'' he said. ''Times change.'' At another point Mr. Crystal brought down the house when he said: ''There's a billion people watching the show tonight. Linda Tripp is taping it.'' Even before the awards presentation, the odds were heavily in favor of ''Titanic,'' the 3-hour-and-14-minute blockbuster that has been No.

1 at the box office for 14 weeks and has grossed a record $1.2 billion around the world, including $495 million in the United States. The film starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as fictional lovers aboard the vessel that sank in the Atlantic in 1912, carrying more than 1,500 people to their deaths. The Oscar ceremonies took place at the 6,000-seat Shrine Auditorium, in a bleak neighborhood in South-Central Los Angeles near the University of Southern California campus. Security was far more visible and intense than in previous years -- even movie stars and nominees went through metal detectors -- partly because of a yearlong labor dispute between ABC, the Disney-owned network that broadcast the show, and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians. Members of the union picketed near the Shrine's entrance as limousines pulled up and stars walked onto the sun-drenched red carpet. The other Oscar nominated films were ''As Good As It Gets,'' ''L.A. Confidential,'' ''The Full Monty'' and ''Good Will Hunting.'' The Oscar winners were selected by the 5,371 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story With 14 Oscar nominations, which tied the record set by the Joseph L. Mankiewicz classic ''All About Eve'' (1950), ''Titanic'' was, from the outset, almost certain to dominate the Academy Awards. Mr. Cameron, who was pilloried in the press and across Hollywood last year for going $100 million over budget on his $200 million movie, is now perhaps Hollywood's premier filmmaker. Mr. Cameron said recently that in creating ''Titanic,'' he felt audiences were eager to see a romantic and historic epic and were wearying of science-fiction films. ''We went in with a harebrained theory -- let's do a romantic epic because no one's done one in a long time,'' the 44-year-old filmmaker said. ''We thought there was a hunger for emotion, for character, for drama.'' One of the highlights of the evening was a tribute to Stanley Donen, the choreographer-turned-director in the heyday of the studio system. Mr.

Donen, who received an honorary Oscar, was co-director with Gene Kelly of ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), perhaps the greatest movie musical. But the 73-year-old filmmaker's elegant style and use of color was also evident in such musicals as ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' (1954) and ''Funny Face'' (1957), as well as nonmusicals like ''Indiscreet'' (1958), ''Charade'' (1963) and ''Two for the Road'' (1967). Mr. Donen performed an agile two-step and sang ''Heaven'' after picking up his Oscar from Martin Scorsese. Another highlight was a historic gathering of old and new Hollywood. Among those invited to the ceremonies were more than 120 past Oscar winners, and about 70 showed up.

Among those who appeared: Claire Trevor, 89, a winner for 1948's ''Key Largo''; Shelley Winters, 74, who won Oscars for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch of Blue'' (1965), and Luise Rainer, 88, who won for ''The Great Ziegfeld'' (1936) and ''The Good Earth'' (1937). ''It's amazing,'' remarked Ms. Winters as she stood on the red carpet entering the Shrine. The veteran actress wore glittering diamonds. ''From all my lovers,'' she said with a laugh. Greg Kinnear, nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in ''As Good as It Gets,'' summed up the mood of the other nominees (as well as many of those attending) the Oscar ceremonies. As movie stars surged into the Shrine, Mr. Kinnear said: ''This is bizarre.

This is like an out-of-body experience.'' The 1998 Oscar Winners Actor: Jack Nicholson, ''As Good as It Gets.'' Actress: Helen Hunt, ''As Good as It Gets'' Advertisement Supporting Actor: Robin Williams, ''Good Will Hunting'' Supporting Actress: Kim Basinger, ''L.A. Confidential'' Director: James Cameron, ''Titanic'' Foreign Film: ''Character,'' the Netherlands Original Screenplay: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, ''Good Will Hunting'' Adapted Screenplay: Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson, ''L.A. Confidential'' Art Direction: ''Titanic'' Ben-Hur wins 11 Academy Awards - Apr 04, 1960 - HISTORY.com Ben-Hur wins 11 Academy Awards Share this: Ben-Hur wins 11 Academy Awards Author Ben-Hur wins 11 Academy Awards URL Publisher A+E Networks Clocking in at three hours and 32 minutes, William Wyler’s Technicolor epic Ben-Hur is the behemoth entry at the 32nd annual Academy Awards ceremony, held on this day in 1960, at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

Setting an Oscar record, the film swept 11 of the 12 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Charlton Heston). Wyler’s 1959 film was the latest dramatic adaptation of the mega-bestselling novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, published in 1880 by Lew Wallace. Wallace, a former general in the American Civil War, wrote his most successful novel after experiencing a new awakening of his Christian faith. The book told the story of a young Jewish aristocrat, Judah Ben Hur, who chafes against the repressive Roman rule in Judea, loses his fortune and his family, but eventually triumphs over obstacles (thanks partially to the intervention of Jesus Christ). After Wallace’s novel was adopted into a long-running stage play in 1899 and a short film in 1907, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought the film rights and produced a major motion-picture version, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, in 1925.

After DeMille scored a hit with a remake of his own 1923 biblical epic The Ten Commandments (1956), MGM decided to revive Ben-Hur as well. Wyler had worked on the set of DeMille’s 1925 version and the square-jawed Heston played Moses in The Ten Commandments. Filmed on location in Italy, on a budget of some $15 million, Ben-Hur was the most expensive movie ever made up to that point. The film’s famous chariot race scene alone took three weeks to shoot and used some 15,000 extras. The setting for the race was constructed on 18 acres of back-lot space at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome. Aside from a few of the most daredevil stunts, Heston and Stephen Boyd (who played Messala, Judah Ben-Hur’s boyhood friend turned bitter enemy) did most of their own chariot driving.

The payoff was big: Writing in his review of the film for the New York Times, Bosley Crowther called the scene a “stunning complex of mighty setting, thrilling action by horses and men, panoramic observation and overwhelming dramatic use of sound.” At the 1960 Oscars, Ben-Hur swept 11 categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith, playing an Arab sheik who befriends Ben-Hur), Best Color Cinematography, Best Color Art Direction/Set Direction, Best Sound, Best Score, Best Film Editing, Best Color Costume Design and Best Special Effects. It was also nominated in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Ben-Hur’s record number of Oscars still stands, although two films (1997’s Titanic and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) have matched it.

Related Videos Ben-hur - WarnerBros.com - Movies Movies Original Theatrical Date: November 24, 1959 OSCAR WINNER: Best Supporting Actor - Hugh Griffith Best Cinematography Best Sound Best Score Experience the visual splendor, thundering action and towering drama of this record-setting film; winner of ELEVEN Academy Awards (a feat not equalled until 1997's Titantic and 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)! Charlton Heston, in his Oscar-winning role, is Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Palestine whose heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arena chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. "Best Director" Oscar-winner William Wyler masterfully grips the reins of this enduring and spellbinding spectacular. For the special "50th Anniversary" release, Ben-Hur underwent a $1 million restoration -- frame-by-frame from an 8k scan of the original 65mm camera negative -- making this the highest resolution restoration ever completed by the Warner Bros. studio.

Genre: Oscar WinnersClassicAction/Adventure BEN-HUR PG.1:VHS,DVDs & Posters- Available Here to Buy! BEN-HUR Director: William Wyler, 1959 One of the great movie spectacles, BEN HUR is a tour de force for Heston. In remaking the silent classic (1927, with Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman), quality-conscious director Wyler presented a modern interpretation of the 1880 novel by General Lew Wallace. Majesty is in almost every frame of this film directed by Wyler, who tells the story in human, understated terms, except for the great chariot race, which was directed by action expert Andrew Marton. Everything about BEN HUR was enormous; more than 300 sets were employed, covering more than 340 acres. BEN HUR held the record for winning the most Academy Awards (11 won) for 38 years till 1997, tying with TITANIC and also in 2004 with THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING for that honor.

SYNOPSIS: BEN HUR begins with Heston, (Judah Ben Hur) a wealthy patrician prince once friendly with the Romans occupying his country of Judea, turns against them in revolt after witnessing their many transgressions, particularly indicting the Emperor Tiberius, who has the Romans convinced they belong to a master race. Boyhood friend Stephen Boyd (Messala), now a Roman tribune, visits Heston to ask for the names of those leading the revolt. Heston refuses to identify the leaders, calling them patriots. Boyd leaves furious, now Heston's sworn enemy. Meanwhile, Sam Jaffe (Simonides) a loyal servant of the family, comes to visit and ask Heston for permission for his daughter Haya Harareet (Esther) to marry. Heston is struck by her calm beauty and gives his permission. Later that night, Harareet and Heston meet, talk and fall in love. He takes her slave ring and paces it on his finger, swearing undying love to her. Days later, the new Roman governor enters the city.

Heston and his sister Cathy O'Donnell (Tirzah) watch his parade from a rooftop. O'Donnell accidentally brushes against a loose roof tile, which falls to the street, frightening the governor's skittish horse. The governor is thrown into a wall and injured. Boyd uses this incident to take his vengeance on Heston for not giving him the Jewish patriot's names. Boyd then promptly arrests Heston and his entire family for the incident on the rooftop not listening to Heston's pleas to spare his mother and sister from being punished too. Heston's mother, Martha Scott (Miriam) and sister are sent to prison while Heston and dozens of others are enslaved and taken to Tyrus. En route, in a small town named Nazareth, Heston collapses from dehydration, and a carpenter's son, Claude Heater (Jesus), gives him water. A Roman guard rushes forward, but when facing Jesus, whose whole presence seems adorned in blinding light, the soldier is dumbstruck and silently retreats. Heston is dragged on his way but not before gaining great strength at the sight of Jesus.

Heston becomes a galley slave on a Roman warship commanded by Jack Hawkins (Quintus Arrius). In a test of wills, Hawkins spots Heston at the oars and has the 'drummer' keep the rowing pace at a fast rate. Hawkins gains a respect for Heston after seeing how he endured the fast pace rowing and realizes this man is a survivor. Heston is called for by Hawkins to come to his cabin. But before Heston arrives, Hawkins falls asleep. Heston stands over the Roman with an opportunity to kill Hawkins but does not--this farther impresses Hawkins. A few days later, Macedonian pirates attack the Roman warship. A fierce battle ensues and the Roman ship is boarded. Heston, who has freed himself and several other slaves as the ship begins to sink, runs on deck to see Hawkins fighting. Hawkins is knocked into the sea and is quickly pulled down by his heavy armor. Seeing this, Heston dives into the water and saves Hawkins' life. After being rescued at sea Hawkins, in gratitude, sponsors Heston in Rome, where he becomes a champion chariot racer in the great arena.

Years pass, with the bond between Heston and Hawkins growing, Heston becomes the adopted son of Hawkins, as well as a worldly citizen of Rome, but he is obsessed and tortured with the thought of finding his mother and sister and returns to Judea. On his way home, Heston meets Hugh Griffith (Sheik Ilderim), who knows of Heston't success in the great 'Circus'. They discuss the up-coming race in Judea and Griffith wants Heston to enter the race with his team of white Arabian horses. Heston next visits Boyd, coming not as a slave but as the son of a Roman consul. Heston asks that Boyd find his loved ones, and Boyd agrees, realizing Heston now represents great power. At his home Heston sees Harareet (Esther ) for the first time since his return. He declares his love for her again but tells her that he is tortured by his family's imprisonment and has to get them released. She tells him that his mother and sister are dead; knowing the truth is that the two have been living as lepers, a condition caused by many years in prison, and do not want Heston to know of their plight.

When hearing that his loved ones are dead, Heston explodes and decides to meet Boyd in the chariot race of Judea, a match long promoted by rich sheik Griffith. The archenemies meet in the arena and begin their wild race. Boyd destroys one chariot after another by cutting into their wheels with the blades fixed onto his axle. Great excitement ensues while the race is finally coming down to only Boyd and Heston left on the track. Boyd attempts the same maneuvers, almost destroying Heston's chariot. Boyd in a last attempt to cause Heston to crash, starts to strike Heston with his whip! Heston is able to grab the whip from Boyd. In the confusion Heston is almost thrown from his chariot but manages to climb back into it to continue the race. Heston regains himself and manages to lock the wheel of his chariot behind that of Boyd's, then rushes forward, pulling Boyd's chariot off its axle.

Boyd's chariot collapses; he is dragged forward by his racing horses, bruised, bleeding; he rolls, a bloody pulp, into the middle of the track, where remaining chariots roar over him, while Heston goes on to win the great race. A great victory for the Jews! Taken to a room beneath the coliseum, Boyd lies dying. Heston comes to him and is greeted with hissing hatred as Boyd tells him that his mother and sister are not dead, that Heston is to "look for them in the Valley of the Lepers, if you can recognize them. The race is not over!"After giving this horrible news, Boyd dies. Distraught, Heston goes to the Valley of the Lepers, secretly following Harareet, who has been taking food to O'Donnell and Scott for years. Heston hides behind a rock, too emotionally torn up to face his family in this horrible place. Harareet sees Heston crumpled behind the rock crying and begs him not to make his presence known to his family, that they wanted him to remember them as they were not as they are now. Heston reluctantly agrees for the time being.

Heston has now become a militant, ready to fight against Rome. Harareet is still in love with Heston, but his hatred for Rome stands between them. Harareet tells him of a new rabbi, Jesus, who speaks of love and peace. Heston is hesitant to see this rabbi speak. He has too much hatred in his heart for the Romans to hear about love and peace from a rabbi. Harareet goes to Jesus' 'Sermon on the Mount' and realize that this man must be the Son of God. Harareet tells Heston that Jesus could help his mother and sister and takes Heston to them. At the Valley of Lepers, Heston rushes forward and, despite his mother's wild protests, embraces his mother and learns that his sister is dying. He takes them to Jerusalem trying to find Jesus who was known as a great healer, but they find Jesus condemned to death when they reach the city. Heston watches as Jesus struggles through a crowd, carrying the cross upon which he is to die.

Heston recognizes Jesus as the one who saved his life in the desert by saying,"I know this man!" Heston then tries to give Jesus water but is pushed away by soldiers, though Jesus sees him. The family leaves the city after Christ has been taken to his crucifixion. Heston follow Jesus and witness Jesus' death on the cross. At the moment Jesus dies a great darkness fills the sky and a thunderstorm breaks overhead. Taking shelter in a nearby cave, Scott and O'Donnell is covered by the rainwater pouring in. Scott reflects on the storm, "It's as though He was carrying in that cross the pain of the world. What strange darkness. His life is over!" During a flash of light, in shock they look at their flesh, which is no longer covered with sores. By a miracle they have been cured! As the storm ends Heston returns alone to his home. An inner peace has crept into his heart after witnessing the death of Christ. He no longer has hatred in his heart and knows that somehow he will find happiness again. As Heston enters his home, he is greeted by Harareet and embrace her with the love he has kept hidden inside for so long.

They exchange a loving look which holds hope for a future together in love. Atop the stairs Heston sees his mother and sister. Cured!! He runs to them and embrasses them with all his emotions spilling forth. Heston cries as he kisses their face knowing that is is truly a miracle from God. Heston is superb as the enlightened Judah Ben Hur. He shows massive emotion on screen and delivers his lines with strong conviction. Heston won the Academy Award for Best Actor, beating out the likes of Jimmy Stewart in 1959. Heston learned how to drive a chariot and drove the team of horses in almost all of shots used in the race sequence. The scene in which Ben Hur almost falls out of the chariot was done by stunt man Joe Canutt, son of Yakima Canutt. Veteran stunt man Yakima Canutt taught Boyd and Heston how to manage the cumbersome chariots for the great race. Heston's appreciation of 'Yak' Canutt runs to a strong friendship. Over Yak's fireplace there sits a horse's head sculpted by Heston.

On the base of it is this inscription: To Yak, for making a half-assed horseman out of a horse's ass! Boyd is perfect as the sinister Messala, a role he never quite equaled. Hugh Griffith is wonderful as Sheik Ilderim, which he won Best Supporting Actor for. Though Tunberg receives lone credit for the script, a host of other writers contributed in one form or another, including such stellar literary lights as Maxwell Anderson, S.N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. MGM lavished about $12,500,000 on this stupendous production, which brought them near bankruptcy, but the returns were staggering: a gross of $40 million and BEN HUR won 11 Oscars! The effort was worthwhile in every sense, resulting in three and one-half hours of unforgettable film and considered by most one of the greatest movies every made. AWARDS: Best Picture Best Supporting Actor - Hugh Griffith Best Director - William Wyler Best Color Cinematography - Robert L. Surtees Best Film Editing - Ralph E. Winters, John D.

Dunning Best Score (Drama or Comedy) - Miklos Rozsa Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Color) - William A. Horning, Edward C. Carfagno, Hugh Hunt Best Costume Design (Color) - Elizabeth Haffenden Best Sound - Franklin E. Milton Best Special Effects - A. Arnold Gillespie (Visual), Robert MacDonald (Visual), Milo Lory (Audible) Academy Award Nomination: Best Adapted Screenplay - Karl Tunberg MY COMMENTS: BEN HUR is the greatest movie ever made as far as I am concerned. I can understand why it won 11 Oscars and has held that record for 38 years. BEN HUR is an inspiring film. It captures the plight of the Jewish people during this turbulent time in history. Chuck is magnificent in the film and the role of Ben Hur. He displayed raw emotion on screen which is felt as you watched the torment he goes through trying to save his family. Chuck shows not only a tough exterior but also a tormented and tender side when he is with 'Esther'. The chemistry between the two is electrifying which is only seconded to the friendship/hatred he shows for 'Messala'.

The 'rowing' sequence in the Roman warship was great. When I first saw this film, during its re-release, I was a teenager and seeing Chuck row with those oars took my breathe away. He showed all the emotions of a caged up animal. Yet during the 'crucifixion' scene and re-uniting with his family at the end of the movie, Chuck showed such uninhibited emotion that it made me feel the same emotion he was experiencing. He did a wonderful job during the 'chariot race' sequence, which proved to me that this man really believes in emersing himself in his roles and is not afraid to do or learn anything for a part. This is a mark of true actor! It does not surprise me that Chuck won the Oscar for Best Actor for this role. Charlton Heston will always be remembered for his role in BEN HUR for generation to come. MY FAVORITE MOVIE PICK PICTURES FROM BEN HUR BELOW PLACE YOUR CURSOR OVER THE PICTURE FOR INFO ON THEM MORE INFORMATION ON BEN HUR: Country of origin: U.S.

Ben-Hur (1959) Ben-Hur (1959) Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (September 1, 2005) To watch 1959's Ben-Hur is to take a class in "How to Win Academy Awards". I say this not solely because of the movie's tremendous success at the 1960 Oscars, though it definitely cleaned up during that ceremony. Nominated for 12 awards, it took home 11, which still ties it with 1997's Titanic for the most trophies ever garnered by one film. (For the record, 1950's All About Eve earned the most nominations with 14, but it "only" grabbed six Oscars. If I'm not mistaken, 1977's The Turning Point and 1985's The Color Purple co-own the record for futility; they both got 11 nominations but won no prizes.) But Ben-Hur�s Oscar-influence rests not just with its supreme haul. In addition, the movie provides a virtual blueprint for Academy Award gold that works to this day. Epics continue to rule the Oscar roost, and the more elaborate, the better.

Make it extremely long and have it take on a serious topic. Execute it with some flair and bingo - you�re almost assured of Oscar recognition. Okay, it�s not quite such a simple process, but it�s clear that Ben-Hur demonstrates the modus operandi that has helped many films clean up at the Academy Awards. It�s a big, oversized, dramatic film that virtually defines the word �epic�. Ben-Hur is formally subtitled �A Story of the Christ�, but that�s a bit of an exaggeration. Frankly, I want to know who Jesus� agent is; the guy only makes a few bit appearances in the flick and he gets top billing! Well, he plays a bigger role behind the scenes, I suppose, but for the most part the subtitle seems somewhat inaccurate; while the tale of Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) parallels that of Jesus, the two only cross paths on a few occasions. For the most part, Ben-Hur offers a somewhat Job-like tale of a man who is tested but remains faithful. However, Benny isn�t really all that devout; his loyalties are more strongly oriented toward people than gods.

Sure, religion plays a part, especially toward the end of the movie, but the flick largely shows concentrates on his attempts to find justice for family, represented both by his actual mother and sister and more symbolically by the Jewish people. At the start of the film, wealthy merchant Ben-Hur meets up with long-time friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) for the first time in years when the latter returns to Judea as an official. However, their happy reunion soon goes sour when Judah learns of the poor way that Messala tends to treat his people, and not long after that, Ben-Hur and his family are severely punished for an accident that vaguely threatened a Roman governor. Judah�s mom and sister are imprisoned, and he�s sent into slavery, a fate that virtually always results in death. He gets stuck rowing on a warship, but he eventually escapes during a battle. Ben-Hur saves a Roman bigwig named Arrius (Jack Hawkins) who eventually takes him in as his own and helps Judah�s rise to semi-power. This allows him to ultimately return to Judea, seek out Messala with revenge on his mind, and find his relatives.

A film like Ben-Hur can be difficult to critique because of its long-established regard as a classic. Much of the movie�s status is deserved. Ben-Hur virtually defines the phrase �epic� with its flawless production values. It offers some of the most elaborate and expansive sets and locales ever seen, and it embraces a literal cast of thousands. Few expenses were spared to bring this oversized production to the screen, and the meticulous care and detail are always obvious. They go a long way toward making the final product more compelling. Ben-Hur also contains a final third that largely works very well. The famed chariot race sequence remains a text-book example of how to shoot a taut and exciting action piece. It�s an absolute show-stopper that deserves its enormous fame and high regard, as it presents a stunning segment of the movie. Nothing else in Ben-Hur can touch it, and its influence continues to this day; the pod race in The Phantom Menace steals from the chariot scene to an almost shocking degree.

(By the way, the influence of Ben-Hur on George Lucas seems apparent in other ways as well; for example, the Star Wars series also used British actors for the ruling class while Americans played the populist characters.) While I expected the chariot race to be exciting, I was surprised at how well-executed I found the crucifixion segments that end the film to be. Although Ben-Hur tends to be schmaltzy, that problem seemed largely absent during the climactic segments. Actually, there�s some cheese on hand, but I still thought the Christ-related parts that finish the movie to seem pretty moving. However, a lot of Ben-Hur seems less than compelling these days. For one, the acting is not especially terrific. Heston won an Oscar for his work, as did Hugh Griffith for his supporting performance as Sheik Ilderim; neither deserved it. Heston displays a fairly strong presence as Judah, but he can�t manage much else in the role; he seems wooden and stiff throughout most of the film, and emotions other than stark anger clearly are beyond him. As for Griffith, he presents the Sheik as little more than a caricature, and a poor one at that.

He makes little positive impression in the part. Although I do applaud the production values, the movie has a tendency to get lost in them at times. It often feels as though the sets and splendor are doing the work of the story. To be frank, the plot is fairly thin for the most part, and there�s not enough there to carry a three and a half hour movie. That means we find a fair amount of filler during the film, as it seems to go on far too long for many segments. The era in which Ben-Hur appeared produced some truly terrific epics; Lawrence of Arabia remains the king of these. As it stands, Ben-Hur is a generally solid film that has a number of positive elements. However, it also contains a lot of flaws that keep it from being a genuinely great film. The DVD Grades: Picture B+/ Audio B+/ Bonus B Ben-Hur appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.76:1 on this double-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Yes, those dimensions are correct; this sucker�s wiiiiiiiiide!

It�s both the best movie and the worst movie to use in attempts to convert �black bar� hating friends and relatives. On one hand, the pan and scan rendition offers the visual equivalent of gibberish; more than half of the original image is lost. However, since some people freak out when mild bars appear for 1.85:1 films, I can�t imagine how they�d react to this! Sharpness seemed quite strong. Despite the many wide shots and the relatively-minuscule nature of lots of onscreen objects, the picture appeared very crisp and well-defined at all times. Even the smallest items came across as clear and detailed. Shockingly, I detected virtually no signs of jagged edges or moir� effects. Given the complexity of the image, I expected to see at least a little shimmering, but those problems seemed almost totally absent. Colors usually looked vivid and well-saturated. Skin tones occasionally took on a slightly brownish appearance and were pale in a couple of scenes, but for the most part they seemed acceptably natural and accurate, while other hues were wonderfully portrayed. Reds appeared especially bright and rich.

Black levels came across as deep and dense, while shadow detail looked appropriately heavy but never excessively thick; low-light situations were easily discernible at all times. The biggest problem I witnessed in this image stemmed from print flaws. That doesn�t come as a shock considering the age of the film. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively few defects I detected. Throughout the movie, I saw occasional examples of grit and speckles as well as a blotch or two, but that was about it. The minor defects could be a little distracting at times, but they seemed fairly insubstantial given the movie�s age. Overall, the transfer held up well. Ben-Hur also sounded quite good via the movie�s Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. The film featured a modestly involving soundfield that helped make the program more compelling. The forward channels displayed a nicely broad mix during much of the movie. Music showed solid stereo separation, and quite a few directional effects came from the sides. These also moved across the speakers and blended together fairly well; the imaging could be a little awkward at times, but given the vintage of the material, the transitions worked well.

A modicum of dialogue also came from the side speakers, though this effect was limited; very little speech emanated directly from one channel or the other, and most sounded as though it appeared in a mid-zone between speakers. Surround usage was somewhat limited though it worked well given the age of the film. The score was nicely bolstered by the rear channels, as they added a strong dimension of reinforcement to the music. During some of the louder scenes, the back speakers also contributed fairly engulfing atmospheric effects. For example, thunder enveloped me, and the chariot race came across very well. Ultimately, the track sounded unsurprisingly dated, but it provided a relatively positive soundfield nonetheless. Audio quality seemed inconsistent but was generally pretty positive. Dialogue usually appeared surprisingly natural and warm, and I never detected any problems related to intelligibility. However, some speech was a bit edgy and rough, and a few lines clearly had been re-recorded at some point; the latter stood out among the rest of the dialogue whenever they appeared. Effects generally sounded fairly clean and realistic, and they sometimes offered pretty solid dynamics; for example, the thunderclaps were nicely deep and rich, and most of the ambient audio seemed crisp.

One minor disappointment: the chariot race came across as somewhat thin and tinny at times. There was decent depth to the stomping of the horses, but the remainder of those scenes seemed a little shrill, and I heard some light hiss as well. Music generally appeared quite bright and vivid. At times the highs could seem a bit muted, but they usually sounded clear and fairly crisp, and the score boasted some surprisingly well-defined and deep bass at times. For example, the drums at the start of chapter 13 appeared quite resonant. Ultimately, the soundtrack to Ben-Hur clearly showed its age, but it nonetheless presented a very positive auditory experience. Ben-Hur provides a few supplements, starting with what the DVD�s case calls �feature-length audio commentary by Charlton Heston�. Technically, that description is correct. Heston begins to speak during the opening sequence, and he continues until the end of the film. However, many large gaps appear between comments. A reviewer on another site claims that Heston�s statements cover most of the film. That writer is badly incorrect. All told, Heston�s commentary fills about 65 minutes, which comes to a bit less than one-third of the movie.

Happily, Warner Bros. have made the enterprise very user-friendly, as all of Heston�s remarks start at the opening of chapters, and the commentary appears on an alternate title track; this means its chapters don�t directly correspond to those found when you watch the film on its own. When Heston�s done talking during one chapter, a cue appears on screen; this lets you know you should hit the �next chapter� button on your remote, which then skips ahead to additional comments. The system works very well, and it makes a potentially-frustrating experience run very smoothly. It helps that Heston�s commentary is a pretty interesting affair. He covers a lot of ground, from technical details of the production to anecdotes from the set to notes about coworkers. Some of the same material gets repeated on occasion, but as a whole, Heston manages to keep most of the track fresh and compelling, especially when we get to the chariot race; Heston becomes most active at that time, and he adds a lot of solid remarks. He spends a little too much time telling us how good different actors and scenes were, but I really liked the commentary nonetheless, as it provided a strong look at the film.

Next up is a fine 1993 documentary called Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic. Narrated by Christopher Plummer, this 58-minute and 10-second program provides a solid look at the history of the project. It covers the story�s origins in the 19th century and follows it through earlier stage and screen presentations. We learn a surprisingly detailed account of the 1925 film edition�s creation. Of course, the show discusses all important elements related to the filming of the 1959 version as well. It offers a lot of compelling information about cast, crew, story, script, locations, sets, stunts, music, effects and pretty much everything else you�d want covered all the way up to the flick�s release.

It does so through film clips, outtakes, behind the scenes material from the set, and interviews with film historian Rudy Behlmer, author Gore Vidal, MGM executive JJ Cohn, actor Ramon Navarro, director William Wyler, director�s daughter Catherine Wyler, editor Ralph Winters, art director�s son Edward Carfagno Jr., special effects director Richard Edlund, composer David Raksin, stunt man Joe Canutt, and second unit director Yakima Canutt. It�s a frank, funny and informative piece that kept me consistently involved and entertained. In Screen Tests, we see longer examples of some of the material found during the documentary. We get two clips that feature Cesare Denova as Ben-Hur and Leslie Nielsen as Messala; these last a total of seven minutes and 15 seconds. We also find a 55-second snippet from the make-up test for Haya Harareet, the actress who ultimately played Esther in the film. These pieces offer a fun little historical element. A few other minor extras round out the DVD. We get both the movie�s theatrical trailer and its teaser. However, these are not the original ads; they both come from post-Oscars reissues.

Speaking of the film�s acclaim, Awards details all of the picture�s 11 Academy Awards plus its other accolades. Photo Gallery provides a 10-still section of pictures from the set and from the film plus a couple of drawings. Lastly, Cast and Crew offers filmographies for actors Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, and director William Wyler. More than 40 years after its initial release, Ben-Hur remains the definition of a screen epic. As a film, it still has a lot to offer - particularly in the excellent chariot race sequence - but some other elements haven�t aged quite as well. The DVD appears quite fresh, however. It provides very good picture and sound plus a complement of solid extras. Despite some weak aspects, Ben-Hur enjoys a special place in film history, and it deserves to be seen. This top-notch DVD release does the classic justice.

Question: Which 1997 movie equaled Ben Hur's record 11 Oscars?
Answer: Titanic